The Throne I Left

Johan woke up to Frey’s disappointed voice. “He’s not home.”

He looked around with sleepy eyes. He must have blacked out at some point because now he was pretty much just hanging off of Frey’s shoulders right outside the blacksmith’s house. The only thing that was holding him up was Frey’s iron grip around his waist and his wrist. Johan’s shoulder cried out in pain as he moved to get his feet back under himself.

“Did you drag me all the way here?” Johan asked, his voice dull with sleep but Frey didn’t even look at him.

“Oh, good. You’re awake, I was starting to think I should take you back to the healer.” Frey then sighed disappointedly. “Emil’s not here anyways.”

“He’s probably in the basement.” Johan said drily. He knew Emil well enough to know that he wasn’t exactly an outdoors-y person.

Johan reached out and opened the door, gesturing for them to go in and Frey shot him a curious look. “Really? Ok. Sure, let’s just walk into this house we don’t live in.”

Despite the comment, Frey walked right in.

It was a cozy house with a lot of dark blues for the interior and furniture, Ulfhild’s favorite color. Johan had been there quite a few times, like for dinners and other random occasions, like dragging Emil outside every now and then.

Johan pointed them right to the long, narrow staircase going down to the basement and did the bare minimum of holding onto the railing as Frey started moving them down.

Just as Johan had said, Emil was in the basement.

They saw him before he saw them. He was standing with his back to them, painting on some large piece of paper on a wooden stand. Johan looked around. He had actually only been in the basement twice, and both times he had been there to drag Emil outside, so he hadn’t actually looked around much. The couch was still in the same place against the left wall and the room was littered in paint cans and old works shoved haphazardly to the side.

Easily said, it was a big mess.

Johan eyed the old works. There were a lot of Note and Singe, and even Johan here and there. Emil had taken to using them for inspiration, just like Trym said. Well, at least Johan thought it had been inspirational until he found out Emil had actually been following them around.

Now that he was looking, though, he realized just how many paintings there were. Through the paintings, Emil had immortalized their time on the island. From the beginning where Signe cleared out the nøkks from the water, all the way to the more current event of them swimming to the island with the giants.

Frey had stopped them in the middle of the room, eyes flicking quietly from one painting to the next. Johan watched as his eyebrows raised in surprise and interest, before turning back to Emil, who still hadn’t noticed them.

Frey silently brought them right up behind Emil, stretching his neck to see over his shoulder.

“What the fuck.” Johan slurred. The painting Emil was working on. It was him. And Note. And Signe. In. The. Club. Outfits. For a wonderful second, he had forgotten that Emil followed them all the way to Heaven.

“Johan!” Emil whirled around, and wide, fearful eyes opened even further as he saw Johan’s state and Frey grinning up at him.

“You’re hurt!” Emil yelled, painting forgotten.

No shit.

Then he turned to Frey.

“You.” Emil stormed. “How dare you hurt my friend!?” Emil screamed out an attempt at a war cry and jumped forward, arm winding back the paintbrush. Johan frowned as Frey easily backed them away. Was that really all Emil could do? He grew up in a village full of fighters. What if Frey was an enemy, was Emil just going to die?

“I didn’t do anything!” Frey yelled back and jumped out of reach as Emil lunged forward, paintbrush swinging through the air.

“Why else would he be covered in blood?!”

“Emil!” Johan tried to stop him, but he just kept going. With another war cry, he threw himself at them! Before he could tackle them both to the ground though, Frey released his hold on Johan and shoved him at the couch.

The back of his head hit the cushions and his hands flew up, the pain debilitating.

Stars clouded his vision.

Emil and Frey’s fight turned blurry.

This time he happily welcomed the darkness.

-

The next time Johan woke up it was still to the sound of arguing.

But it was different now.

“Johan!” Something slapped his face. He blinked drowsily, his vision blurry. A white and green blob moved in front of him.

“Signe?” He asked. When did she get there? And Vero as well, he noticed as his vision cleared, standing in between Frey and Emil. Vaguely he noticed Signe was speaking to him.

“I’m fine.” Johan croaked but Signe’s expression made it clear that he had guessed the question wrong.

“I have it under control.” Frey complained, quickly followed by a yelp. Johan cleared his throat, maybe he should say something to defend him.

“How did you know where I was?” He asked instead.

Signe eyed him for a second, then grabbed his arms and started helping him to his feet.

And as she pulled him to his feet, Johan realized one thing very quickly. He was not ready to stand on his own yet. Luckily Signe had quick reflexes and not even a second later she held him safely up, his arm around her shoulder and both of hers around his waist.

She scoffed. “Fine, was it?” She mocked as she started dragging him outside. “Your raven is outside.”

Johan’s brain stopped for a second. Well, that explained how they found him. “Oh.” He muttered unintelligently. He swallowed. He hadn’t seen the raven since the day Note gave it to him, only heard it screech or chirp in the distance as if it was hiding. Maybe it was.

When they got up the stairs, Vero quickly moved to open the door for them- And yep, There it was, that beautiful raven Note gave him, sitting happily on the railing right outside. How Note hadn’t found Johan first, he didn’t know.

When it saw Johan, the raven made a loud screech and flew out of sight.

“So it was hiding.” Johan muttered, for some reason it made him feel worse. He turned to Signe. “I don’t want to go home.”

Johan said it silently, knowing full well that if Signe wanted him home then he would be home. It wasn’t like he had many options now that Frey was detained.

“You mean you don’t want to speak to Note.” She retorted matter-of-factly. “Don’t worry, I sent him out to fish with Leif and the guys after he came to me and said Frey kidnapped you. Cornering you while you’re barely conscious is a dirt move anyways.”

Johan sighed in relief. Signe and Note had hated each other after all. If anyone would let Johan off the hook with him, it would be her.

“Hah, as if you wouldn’t use it.” Johan laughed silently. Signe grinned but didn’t say anything.

Soon they arrived at the house. Vero was quietly trailing after them the whole way. If it wasn’t for her footsteps, Johan wouldn’t have known she was there. It put him on edge and as they walked up to the door, Vero appeared once again just to hold the door open for them.

Signe dragged Johan in through the doorway and dumped him unceremoniously on the couch.

“Two out of ten, worse treatment than Frey.” Johan complained loudly after her as she left up the stairs.

“You’re covered in so much blood you’re lucky I didn’t dump you outside!” Came from the bedroom. Johan huffed, eyeing Vero suspiciously where she moved through the room.

Then Signe came back with a large blanket.

Johan raised an eyebrow.

“You are going to rest. Don’t worry, Note won’t be back until tomorrow.” Signe said as she threw a blanket over him and tucked him in. Then she fell silent.

Johan didn’t miss the glances she threw behind him. To Vero.

“What is it?” Johan asked, eyes narrowing. He didn’t like this side of her. It was too quiet. Too similar to when she first got to Heaven.

Quietly, Signe tok a seat on the other couch. “Everything is fine!” She smiled tensely and Johan paused, a bad feeling washing over him. He pushed himself up the best he could.

“What is going on?” A knife could cut the tension in the room as Vero sat down beside Signe. Johan glanced between them. Did Vero do something?

Signe shifted her feet anxiously. “You’re coming to the wedding, right?”

Johan stared. What kind of question was that?

“What do you mean?” Johan asked cautiously. Signe didn’t reply, she just watched Johan. He looked between her and Wrath and his heart fell. “Do you not want me to?”

“What? No, of course I do!” Signe vehemently denied.

Then Vero suddenly spoke. “You don’t like me.”

Johan blinked, leaning back a little. Of course he didn’t like her. He hadn’t exactly been trying to hide it.

“I don’t.” He agreed.

“But you like me!” Signe argued loudly, slamming her hands on the table between them. “So you should come to the wedding anyway!”

Johan gaped. “When did I say I wouldn’t come?! Of course I will!”

Signe frowned. “You are?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?!” Johan asked. What kind of question was that?! His dislike for Wrath couldn’t keep him away from Signe’s wedding, hell, even if the other bride was Greed himself it wouldn’t keep him away! “We’re family, of course I’ll be there!”

“Good!” Signe yelled and a bright smile appeared on her lips. “Even Odin’s kids are traveling for hours to come to the wedding. You better be there.”

“I just said I would, didn’t I?” Johan threw back. With all the chores he had been doing the last few days, he pretty much the one making the wedding happen at all! Especially after all he went through to get that sheep!

“Good.” She smiled and stood up. “I love you. I’ll let you rest now.”

And with that she grabbed Vero’s hand and left.

And Johan was alone.

His head hurt.

What just happened? Honestly, the whole day was a blur at that point. How could Signe think he wouldn’t come to her wedding?!

Slowly, he laid back down on the couch, careful of his head.

Johan couldn’t believe it. Just one more day. Tomorrow Signe and Vero would be married. He closed his eyes with a sigh.